


A Good Job

by meils121



Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen, Heist, Post-Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25907011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meils121/pseuds/meils121
Summary: Parker is comfortable picking locks and weaving through lasers.  She’s okay with tight spaces in air ducts and the wind in her face as she scales buildings.  She likes moving without a sound and relying on her skills to get her out safely.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18
Collections: The Leverage Exchange Master Collection





	A Good Job

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gilbert_H_Karr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilbert_H_Karr/gifts).



Parker is comfortable picking locks and weaving through lasers. She’s okay with tight spaces in air ducts and the wind in her face as she scales buildings. She likes moving without a sound and relying on her skills to get her out safely. 

This is none of those things.

“As you can see, Dr. Brazda, we take the authentication process quite seriously.” The speaker is a short, balding man, one George Travine. He’s the head of this particular museum, if it could be called that. It is a private collection, available for viewing only to the wealthiest of clientele. It’s also been remarkably difficult to gain access to. Rich people and their paranoia, Parker thinks dismissively.

“I would hope so.” Parker says in response. Her accent is - passable. She thinks of what Sophie would say about it. Eastern European accents are different from each other, Parker. You have to embrace the nuances. She adjusts her tone slightly. “The lighting in this room is inadequate. You aren’t expecting me to do the authentication in here, are you?”

The look on George’s face suggests that is, in fact, what he was suggesting. This is, according to the plans Parker has found, the most secure room in the building - certainly the place a truly priceless jewel would be held. But Parker can’t do anything with the painting in here. 

“The - how would you say - shadows.” Parker says, raising her voice like she’s outraged. “Shadows, Mr. Travine. I did not fly all the way to Montana for shadows!” Sophie would be proud, Parker thinks. 

“Er - yes. Shadows.” He agrees. “No good. “Perhaps the main hall would have the best light?”

Parker turns and walks out of the room, George running after her. Keep them moving, Parker, keep them on their toes. You don’t want them to think, just to do. “Where is it? Where I came in?”

She comes to a stop in the main hall and looks around. This is the best place as any to do the authentication. The lighting is, in fact, better in this room, but better yet Parker knows there are exactly two blind spots in the security system. Worry about what you can’t see, Hardison told her once. And then figure out how to make it so no one else can see you either. She walks a little further into the room, coming to a stop just short of where the blind spot is. This will work just fine.

“Acceptable.” She tells George. “How long do we wait?”

It’s going to be a bit of a tricky job, that much Parker can admit. If there was another way, she’d have taken that route. But sometimes, stolen treasures can be difficult to re-obtain. The risk, Parker thinks, is worth it. 

A voice in her head asks why the risk is worth it. This isn’t a job she’s pulling with the team - if there even is a team anymore. Last she knew, they’d all scattered. She had no reason, no obligation to help anyone. And yet - 

The doors to the main hall swing open. A woman wearing more jewelry than anyone confident in their wealth should be strides through, followed by what must be her personal bodyguard. Parker shifts slightly, calculating. She thought of Eliot’s lessons. You won’t beat anyone based on raw strength, Parker. You have to be smart about this. Look for weaknesses. You can move faster than someone bigger than you can. Use it to your advantage.

“Dr. Brazda.” The woman says, extended a hand like she expects Parker to kiss it. Parker shakes it instead, a little too heartily. “Oh. Yes, well, thank you for coming. I’m Madeline Guest. I own this collection. When George here said he had the world’s expert in emeralds, well, I simply had to meet you. And I’m sure you’ll just love this piece.”

“Emeralds and rubies.” Parker corrects. She wants to add diamonds, but she also doesn’t want to get this lady too mad at her.

“And rubies.” Madeline says, her smile looking a bit frozen in place. “I don’t want to waste too much of your time. George, be a dear and bring out the Coyaima Emerald.”

Here it is. Parker tries not to show too much impatience as George retrieves a case from the vault and brings it back into the main hall. The case is set on a small table and Madeline retrieves a key from her pocket. Parker holds her breath as the case is opened. 

Here goes nothing. “Beautiful.” She announces. “Let me get out my tools and we can start the authentication process.”

She reaches into her briefcase and presses the small remote tucked into the interior pocket. The lights go out. Madeline, predictably, screams. It takes no more that five seconds for Parker to switch out the emerald for a fake. It takes another three to drop a second fake emerald in the suit pocket of the bodyguard. It takes a moment longer for her to let out a blood-curdling scream (and Sophie would be proud) and collapse on the ground. 

The lights go back on. Madeline lunges for the emerald in the case. George hurries to help Parker to her feet. “What happened?” He demands. Parker can hear more security guards rush towards them. 

“I - someone hit me.” Parker says, rubbing the back of her head. “I don’t - is the emerald okay?”

Nate would be proud of how nicely things wrap up from there. Parker examines the emerald in the case and declares it a fake. The bodyguard - a former mercenary with plenty of crimes to answer for - is searched and the second fake emerald is discovered. Parker declares that to be the real one. 

A few hours later, Parker is handing over the real emerald to a lovely young man and his grandmother - the woman this emerald was stolen from five decades earlier. Good job, Parker, she hears Nate saying, and she smiles. It was a pretty good job.


End file.
